BYGGNADENS ROLL I KOLLEKTIVT IDENTITETSSKAPANDE: En fallstudie av Rannebergen och Rannebergens centrumanläggning

Abstract

This thesis is based on a case study of the Rannebergen central complex in Gothenburg. Its aim is to explore the role individual buildings can play in processes of collective identity formation. Combining various ethnographic methods with a theoretical framework, grounded in Edward W. Soja’s (1996) concept of thirdspace, the study examines how the material; the imagined and the lived interact in the understanding of a specific place. The study focuses on the relationship between the physical characteristics of the central building and residents’ perceptions of Rannebergen as a whole. Issues concerning the building’s condition; its transformations over time and its use are highlighted as meaningful indicators. Attention is also given to how spatial imaginaries change over time, and how different perceptions – related to loss, optimism or potential – may coexist, sometimes in tension. Particular focus is placed on how a building located at the margin of urban attention may still become highly significant for those living nearby – especially through its use, memory and the new meanings assigned to it. Although context-specific and not readily generalizable the findings suggest that individual buildings – depending on their design, history, and everyday use – may play a more central role in shaping collective identity than is often acknowledged. This study thus contributes to a deeper understanding of how the small scale – the single building – can be integral to the social narrative of a place.